PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN: African swine fever (ASF) was found at three pig farms in two districts of this lower Central province, with 117 pigs culled to prevent the disease from spreading, provincial livestock office chief Yutthira Banthukul said.
The farms were at Moo 4 village in tambon Ao Noy, Muang district; Moo 5 village in tambon Angthong, Muang district; and Moo 13 village in tambon Na Hu Kwang, Thap Sakae district.
Mr Yutthira said all three were small operations. A total of 117 pigs had been killed and buried to prevent the virus spreading. Compensation had been paid to the farmers at 75% of the market price.
The three areas had been declared ASF-hit and pig movements prohibited within a five-kilometre radius of the respective farms.
Veterinarians were inspecting pigs within a one-km radius of the farms, collecting samples for laboratory tests.
If farms with fewer than 50 pigs were found to be infected, all the pigs would be culled. For larger farms, only pigs in the pens hit by the virus would be culled.
Mr Yutthira said there were about 1,000 pig farmers in Prachuap Khiri Khan, with about 80,000 pigs between them. Only 25 facilities had 50 pigs or more.
At larger farms pigs were raised in a closed system. This was not the case at small farms, where the risk of the disease spreading was higher and strict protective measures were needed, Mr Yutthira said.